


Two Fates Entertwined

by Grapecatte (Lux)



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Male Miqo'te (Final Fantasy XIV), Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 07:21:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lux/pseuds/Grapecatte
Summary: “Take m’t’the Void, the Thirteenth” he said, staring Emet-Selch directly in the eyes, his voice being little more than a pained growl.“What?” Emet-Selch asked, looking down at the miqo’te, hanging onto his sanity and form by the slimmest of threads.“Did I bloody stutter? Take m’t’the swivin’ Thirteenth, an’ throw m’at the strongest an’ most powerful voidsent there” Una’to demanded.---The Warrior of Light manages to convince Emet-Selch to take him to the Void to expel his overwhelming light through fighting Voidsent there, altering his fate to be consumed by the Light, and altering Emet-Selch's fate to die by his hands.





	Two Fates Entertwined

**Author's Note:**

> This has one chapter and part of another chapter written, and is worked on maybe once in a blue moon. It's also an idea that just wouldn't dislodge itself from my head, and then I just yeet random ideas at a wall and see what sticks, so I have no idea where this is going.
> 
> That and it was mostly written because whenever look at all the characters a new expansion gives I then just look at the biggest flaming dumpsterfire of the lot and go "Yes, that is the one I want to smash my Warrior of Light".

Una’to collapsed on one knee as he tried and tried to stop the Light from getting more of its grip into him, trying to stop it from twisting him into becoming the very abominations he had fought to free the shard from the tyranny of Light. He could hear Emet-Selch taunting him, mocking him for failing to contain the Light. He could barely hear what the Ascian was saying, nor could he hear what his allies were saying in response, but still he looked up at the Ascian, his soul screaming at him for things to not go to blow. Not again, please find another way, he could hear it yell at him. If he dies, you will regret it for the rest of your lives. Looking up at Emet-Selch and then at the Crystal Exarch, G’raha, another option slowly materialised in his head, one that would not require his own transformation into a Lightwarden, nor one that would end in G’raha’s death, and maybe, just maybe, it would not lead to coming to blows with Emet-Selch. It was a long shot, but maybe he could save more than just two worlds with this choice.

“Take m’t’the Void, the Thirteenth” he said, staring Emet-Selch directly in the eyes, his voice being little more than a pained growl.

“What?” Emet-Selch asked, looking down at the miqo’te, hanging onto his sanity and form by the slimmest of threads.

“Did I bloody stutter? Take m’t’the swivin’ Thirteenth, an’ throw m’at the strongest an’ most powerful voidsent there” Una’to demanded. “If I can let the Light out, channel it ‘gainst the Darkness of the Voidsent, I won’t get corrupted, I’ll still be me.”

“Would it work? Would you live?” the ghostly visage of Ardbert asked, hope tingeing his voice.

“It has t’an’ it will with y’help” Una’to quietly replied to the ghostly hyur.

Emet-Selch stared at the miqo’te, his expression unreadable, though he had stopped with the insults and mockery. “What if you fail?”

“Then I become the Lightwarden, but on a different shard. As powerful as I’d be, I’d never be able t’stand up t’the might of a shard full of Voidsent. I’d still be savin’ the First. Either way, I win”

Emet-Selch quickly approached him, his gloved hand forcing Una’to’s face up, forcing the miqo’te to look into his eyes. “Is that really so?” he asked, voice quiet enough for only Una’to to hear. “Very well, I will open a portal to the Void. I have disappointingly low expectations of you, hero, but I mean to see this out, to see you fail and become the monster you’re attempting to keep at bay” the Ascian conceded, releasing Una’to and waved a hand as he stood up, summoning a portal to the void. Before any of the Scions could speak up or react, Emet-Selch grabbed Una’to by the front of his armour and tossed him into the portal and stepped through, the portal snapping shut almost immediately after, leaving the Scions and G’raha alone in the simulacra of an ancient star’s final days.

* * *

The Void, the Thirteenth was as Una’to remembered it last time he went there, which felt almost a lifetime ago to the miqo’te. A time when things were seemingly simpler, where Hydaelyn was the big good entity he was championing for, and Zodiark and the Ascians were naught but the chaosbringers, bringing Calamity and death and destruction for chaos’s sake. Now. Now things were different, muddled.

“Hang in there, I’m right with you” Ardbert said, his presence in the Void a great comfort to Una’to.

“It appears that our presence has not gone unnoticed. Hardly a surprise considering your current...afflication” Emet-Selch pointed out, with Una’to becoming all too aware of the voidsent beginning to gather, their hungry eyes fixated on the miqo’te as they crept closer and closer to the pair.

“Small fry, the lot of ‘em. Need somethin’ stronger, one of the higher rungs. Somethin’ like Diablos or Scathach or Cloud of Darkness” Una’to said, eyeing off the voidsent as he hauled himself back onto his feet.

“Us against a horde of voidsent with naught but an Ascian at our side. What’s the worst that could happen?” Ardbert mused.

“Succeed or fail, the Light will be dispersed, an’ the First will be safe from it” Una’to grunted as he pulled his greatsword off his back, using it to bat away a pair of gremlins who wandered too close to him.

Emet-Selch stared at Una’to, before shaking his head and casting a dismissive gaze across the lesser voidsent. “Hmph, fine. I’ll take care of the riffraff here, you try not to die to the stronger ones. It was the voidsent of the third sphere or higher you wished to challenge, yes?” he asked, and with a click of his fingers some dozen smaller voidsent, mostly ahriman and gremlins simply disappeared. “Try not to take too long, I bore easily and these lesser voidsent will do little to alleviate the boredom”

“Stronger ones will show ere long. I may have made an enemy of the Cloud of Darkness last I was here” Una’to confidently said.

“Excuse me, but what?” Emet-Selch asked, looking at Una’to in shock. “How in Zodiark’s name-no, don’t tell me, I’d rather not know”

“As much as I hate to agree with an Ascian, but I’m with him. What?” Ardbert also asked.

“It’s a long story, I’d be more’n happy t’tell y’bout it later” Una’to promised, cutting down a parthenope.

Emet-Selch said nothing else, too distracted by the growing horde of voidsent, concentrating hard on ensuring that Una’to was not pushed too far, lest his transformation into a Lightwarden hasten, or so Emet-Selch tried to convince himself. Soon the voidsent hordes diminished somewhat, yet the pair were not able to rest for too long before a massive voidsent towered over them, glowing gold eyes staring at Una’to with hate.

“_**You’ve a lot of nerve coming back here worm**_” she hissed at Una’to.

“You really weren’t lying when you said that you made an enemy of one of the most powerful voidsent of the Thirteenth. Well you really are in the game of making incredibly powerful enemies” Emet-Selch dryly remarked to Una’to, dispersing of the last few weaker voidsent and took several steps away from the Warrior. “Well go do what you need to, I’ll be right here, waiting for you to turn or die”

“Nice to know we have such a confident supporter in our endeavours” Ardbert muttered as Una’to readied his greatsword once again.

The miqo’te looked to Emet-Selch, his expression melancholic and almost nostalgic. “Just promise, promise me that whatever happens t’me, whether I succeed or fail, life or die, that y’ll see it through t’the end” he asked, before looking back at the Cloud of Darkness and rushing at the great voidsent, a great burst of Light erupting as he struck the creature.

Emet-Selch remained quiet, not wanting to commit to an answer, simply eradicating a few weaker voidsent trying to take advantage of the pair’s momentary distraction by the arrival of the Cloud of Darkness, who hissed and bent down, swatting at Una’to, just missing the man. Una’to swung at her face, feeling the familiar comfort of the Darkside around him as he channelled his aether and struck at the voidsent, his sword digging in deep.

The fight continued on, with Una’to and the Cloud of Darkness exchanging blows, the miqo’te releasing Light with each blow against the voidsent, while Emet-Selch dealt with the weaker voidsent trying to take advantage of the fray, yet Una’to was unable to keep his pace up for much longer, collapsing as the Light threatened to consume him yet again, vomiting up more of the glowing, viscous white fluid. A large hand slammed into him, sending him flying. Emet-Selch cursed when he saw the miqo’te fly past him, soul cracking as the Light threatened to consume him. He moved to approach the miqo’te, to drag him back to the safety of Amaurot, to let the biggest shard of his old friend be consumed and forever lost to him, but he stopped mid-stride, something at the back of his mind niggling at him to stop and let whatever was about to play out, play out.

Una’to struggled to even sit up, the pain from the voidsent’s attack and the pain from the Light coursing through his body being almost too much to bear as he vomited out more of the fluid. But he couldn’t give up. Not here. Not now. Not when he still had so many questions for Emet-Selch. Not when Balthier still needed his pets and treats whenever he came to visit the chocobo at Fortemps Manor. Not when Rhalgr was patiently waiting for him back at the Source, waiting for them to fly through the skies together again. Suddenly Una’to felt a hand on his back, helping him sit up. Confused, he looked over, smiling with relief when he saw Ardbert right beside him.

“As I said when we came here, I’m right with you” the ghostly man said, returning a smile of his own and a reassuring pat on the back once Una’to had fully sat up. Ardbert pulled out his axe, offering the handle to Una’to. “You don’t have to do this alone, there’s no shame in having a friendly face help carry your burdens”

“Not so used t’askin’, but maybe it ain’t too late t’start askin’” Una’to replied, taking the offered handle and allowing Ardbert to pull him up with it. “Well if m’end’s here, might as well make sure that she’ll never forget us, make her hurt”

“Your end, our end. It won’t be here and it won’t be now” Ardbert promised as Una’to felt Ardbert’s presence meld into his, feeling as though a long-missing piece of his had finally returned and a surge of strength coursed through him and with a yell, he charged once more at the Cloud of Darkness.

“_**Nearly dead and you still insist on fighting? Very well, if you wish to die so badly, then I will indulge you**_” she said, firing a large beam of magic at the revitalised miqo’te.

“Not today!” Una’to yelled, his voice curiously unlike his own, as he channelled his long-unused Dragoon soul crystal, leaping high into the air to avoid the beam, feeling that light, fluttery feeling in his stomach as he reached the peak of his jump and began to fall, directing it as he had been trained to and crashing Ardbert’s axe - now completely made up of Light - into the skull of the Cloud of Darkness. The voidsent screamed and thrashed for several seconds once more tossing Una’to away before stilling for good, her form dissipating and fading. One of the greatest and most powerful of the voidsent was finally put to rest. Panting from the exertion of the battle and rejoining with Ardbert, Una’to gave one small nod at the fast-disappearing remnants of the Cloud of Darkness before seeing naught but darkness himself, his body crumpled to the ground as the efforts of everything over the past few weeks finally caught up with him.

Emet-Selch stared. For a moment, just a moment, he saw the true form of a friend long since gone, his soul sundered and only partially rejoined and suffering under the strain of so much Light, threatening to be torn asunder and consumed, forever denied the chance of returning to the Lifestream and being born anew. For just a moment he saw his wonderful, precious - and with a frown, he took note of how his soul was no longer straining, cracking, leaking Light. Instead it seemed...repaired, the Light gone, and somehow more whole than it was mere moments ago. He shook his head, dispelling those thoughts. The Cloud of Darkness, an ancient and powerful voidsent was dead, the voidsent that remained in the area were in a state of temporary and shocked disarray, and the Warrior lay nearby, unconscious, bleeding, and on the brink of death. But alive. The Ascian sauntered over to the man, looking down at his form and wearily shook his head.

“You never do things in half-measures, do you? And of course you push yourself to the brink while doing so, you just wouldn’t be you if you didn’t. Ever the fool old friend, and it’s up to me, as always, to pull you out of the troubles you started” he said, yet with no malice in his voice, instead only fondness and a touch of nostalgia. With a sigh he bent down and picked up the miqo’te, his body too small, too light even for one of his kind, yet Emet-Selch was unable to ignore the peaceful look upon the man’s face.

With a click of his fingers, Una’to’s discarded greatsword was in Emet-Selch’s free hand, the Ascian was none too fond of such a weapon, but it would be one less thing for the miqo’te to worry about upon awakening. With another click of his fingers, a portal to the First appeared, and Emet-Selch stepped through back to his recreation of Amaurot and back to his guests, uninvited and forcefully invited.

The little group of do-gooders tensed and stared as he stepped through the portal, with some of their number particularly Lahabrea’s former host and the white-haired elezen girl child (or were they the brother? He had difficulty telling the two apart, and he honestly didn’t care enough to try and differentiate the two), just about ready to attack him when they saw the unconscious Una’to in his arms. With a well-rehearsed theatrical sigh and a roll of his eyes, he took several steps forward before unceremoniously dumping the miqo’te on the ground, and tried to shake the guilty feelings of having doing so, he had a reputation to uphold and he didn’t want them to think that he was going soft. The man’s greatsword was also dumped next to him and Emet-Selch took a few steps backwards, trying not to roll his eyes as the man’s companions rushed to assist him, the other white-haired elezen and the tall elezen immediately knelt by Una’to’s broken and unconscious form and healing him.

“He’s not dead, and before you start trying to blame me for it, I would like to point out that he was the one who decided to face a high-ranked voidsent. On his own” he said, crossing his arms.

“Oh and I’m sure you loved to leave him to fight it on his own, regardless of his own safety or well-being” Lahabrea’s Former Host growled at him, eyes trained on him and weapon at the ready.

“Oh please, don’t pin all the blame on me. I didn’t see any of you offering to volunteer to help him” Emet-Selch sneered. “But all things considered your friend is alive, and the Light that once threatened to consume him is no more”

“He’s not lying” the miqo’te woman said, what was with this group and their members having white hair? Emet-Selch pondered to himself. “His aether has returned to normal, the Light in him, it’s no more”

“His soul seems normal now, healed” the red-headed girl with them confirmed. “I don’t know what happened, but he’s healed, fixed”

The group of the Scions were all relieved, though of everyone in the area, none were as relieved as Emet-Selch. Somehow his friend had done it, he had somehow either expelled the Light, or became strong enough to contain it without fear of becoming a Lightwarden. Either way his soul was safe, strangely stronger as though it had undergone another Rejoining, but that was a question that could be answered at a later time. These guests had long overstayed their welcome.

“Yes, yes, your little friend’s soul is well and I’m sure of the lot of you, there’s someone with enough healing skill to help him out after his little scrap with the Cloud of Darkness, but you trespassers have all outstayed your welcomes” Emet-Selch said, dismissively waving his hand. “Let’s just say as a gesture of my goodwill, this world has earned a brief reprieve, for now, and you can have your Exarch friend back. Just go. Now” he said, snapping his fingers and willing the group to be on the shores of Kholusia. Before any of the group had a chance to voice their complaints or disapprovals or questions, they disappeared.

* * *

The Scions and the Exarch appeared on Kholusia’s shoreline, much to the applause and cheers of those on the docks near Wright and Eulmore, Dulia-Chai’s exuberant cheers could be heard even from a distance. A number of Eulmorans and Kholusians rushed to the group, their expressions falling upon seeing the injured forms of Una’to and the Exarch and quickly ushered the group to Eulmore. No small number of Eulmorans offered to open their homes for the injured to rest and recover, but it was the Chais who the group accepted assistance from, until an airship to the Crystarium was quickly arranged.

It wasn’t until several days after the confrontation at Amaurot that Una’to awakened, much to the relief of the Spagyric worker who was currently overseeing him and to the relief of the Scions and G’raha, all who visited him over the course of the day and under the watchful eyes of the Spagyrics workers. While everyone asked him what happened in the time Emet-Selch and he went to the Void and when they returned from there, Una’to simply shook his head and promised to explain it later, citing the potential prying ears that could be around, but also due to not wanting to repeat himself and his story several times, and so a few days after he awoke (and after the careful examinations of the Spagyrics workers) given the all clear to speak with the Scions and the Exarch about the events in the Tempest and Amaurot.

He made his way towards the tower, waving or politely nodding to those who greeted him with warmth and joy, their ‘Warrior of Darkness’. For all his time being called the Warrior of Light back on the Source, being called the opposite on the First was not odd for Una’to, nor did it take him as much time to get used to it as he thought it would have. It just sounded right to him, almost nostalgic even….the thoughts were dispelled was he reached the doors of the Crystal Tower, the guard happily letting him in, and he made his way up to the Exarch’s chambers, where he was certain everyone else was waiting for him.

It felt so strange to him, seeing the Scions relieved and asking how he was, but it was not unwelcome, and after the greetings and small talk, they returned to the matters at hand, the Exarch (or G’raha Tia as he was known by) explained his actions and motivations, hoping that his death would serve as the catalyst to return the Scions back to their bodies on the Source. Finally matters turned to Amaurot and Emet-Selch, with G’raha and the Scions looking at Una’to, expressions serious.

“Forgive me for asking, but what exactly did happen in the Void?” G’raha asked. “When the two of you emerged from the Void, well you were unconscious and barely alive, yet Y’shtola and Ryne both confirmed that the Light corrupting you was there no longer”

Una’to frowned, trying to work out how to best explain it, and briefly debated about mentioning how Ardbert had been effectively haunting him for most of his time on the Source, but decided against it. “I figured that maybe somethin’ that was heavily slanted t’Darkness, like the Void, an’ denizens of Darkness would make a good foil t’the Light that was consumin’ m’. An’ I figured goin’ t’the Void an’ fightin’ the biggest, meanest Voidsent I could find would help things.” Una’to began explaining.

“How powerful were you thinking?” Y’shtola asked, her curiosity unable to hide concern.

“Somethin’ akin t’Diabolos or Scathach” Una’to replied. “Somethin’ really mean, somethin’ really hungerin’ for aether”

“A risky move, and one that could have very easily backfired” Thancred gently chastised, “but despite the risks, it seems to have worked out for you”

“Mmm” Una’to replied with a nod. “Turns out had a really big an’ mean voidsent show up after Emet-Selch an’ m’self took out some of the smaller fry, an’ old...friend so t’speak” he said, looking over at G’raha.

“Oh?” G’raha asked, as he thought, trying to work out who Una’to was referring to, eyes widening as came to the realisation. “You surely don’t mean…?”

“Aye, I certainly mean it. The Cloud of Darkness herself decided t’show up for Round Two” Una’to said, the Scions unable to hide their shock at the mention of the voidsent. “Let’s just say that she’s uhh...permanently unavailable for Round Three”

“How?” Alphinaud asked. “From everything we’ve read and studied about the void, she was one of the three most powerful voidsent known to us. It would take a great deal of effort and loss to force her back to the Void should she ever make it into our worlds, how were you able to kill her, and in the Void of all places?”

“That’s the thing. I kinda don’t really know how.” Una’to admitted. “All I knew is that I really wanted her dead, an’ that I needed all the Light in m’gone. Next thing I knew I sunk a weapon made of Light int’her skull an’ then she whacked me away from her. Everythin’ else is blank until wakin’ up in the Crystarium”

“A mystery for the ages I should think. But regardless of how it was done, the outcome was still to our favour, night has returned to the First and we need not worry over much about the Light, and more importantly, you are now under no threat of being consumed by the Light” G’raha cheerfully said.

“There is still the matter of our Ascian ‘friend’ though for now he does not appear to be a threat” Y’shtola said.

“Indeed, it wouldst be in our best interests to keep surveillance on Emet-Selch, though like all of his ilk, he is a troublingly elusive quarry” Urianger explained. “But shouldst he reemerge from wherever he hath hidden himself away, most likely in his recreations of Amaurot, we shall ever be at the ready to seeketh the answers from him. Though he proves to be horribly evasive about an all manner of topics” he conceded.

“Another problem for another day. Just glad t’try an’ take each day an’ each trouble as they come” Una’to said, shrugging. “Once he crawls out from wherever he’s hidin’ we’ll work out how t’deal with him”

The Scions and G’raha nodded in agreement, none too happy with being unable to deal with the wayward Ascian at the current point in time, but had little other option available to them until he deigned to approach them again. They talked among themselves, plans about what they were going to do while they remained on the Source, before saying their goodbyes to Una’to and leaving G’raha’s chambers, leaving Una’to and the other miqo’te. The two bade farewells to each other and G’raha opened a portal to the Source, allowing Una’to to finally return home to the Source.

* * *

With a contented sigh, Una’to flopped onto his bed, sinking into his bed covers and mattress. It was good to be home, his small, modest cottage a gift from ‘Ishgard’ Aymeric and Edmont had claimed, nestled away in a secluded, private part of the city. A tiny place of privacy and comfort for the miqo’te who had given his all for their city, and who was glad and grateful to be able to call it home. With another sigh, he hauled himself back up off the bed. As tempting as it was to just close his eyes and sleep, he would come to regret it later in the night and he became too uncomfortable sleeping in his armour.

He near crawled out of his armour, carefully putting it on his armour stands, then peeled off the padding and underclothes, before finally allowing himself to draw a bath and just soak and relax and clean off several day’s worth of grime and sweat. Content that he had cleaned himself well enough and wanting to get some more sleep, he crawled out of the bath and after wrapping a towel around himself, emerged from his bathroom and made his way over to his bedroom.

To say that he was not expecting an all-too-familiar form of the Ascian, Emet-Selch, reclining back in his bed as if he owned the damn thing and the house, still clad in those damned Garlean-style robes, and still wearing the visage of a younger Solus zos Galvus, was an understatement. Una’to let out a choked yell as he momentarily released the grip on his towel, forcing him to scramble to hold it up and at least protect a modicum of his decency, his tail’s fur fluffing out and expanding in fright.

“What, what in the bloody swivin’ hells are y’doin’ here?” he demanded. “How’d y’even find this place? Not even the Scions know I live here!”

Emet-Selch chuckled at the panicking miqo’te, casting a lingering gaze up and down his body, eyes taking in as much detail as he could, not even caring if Una’to knew what he was looking at.

“Well I’m here to see how you’re doing after your recent…mishap on the Thirteenth” Emet-Selch claimed, not even bothering to sit up, still reclining on Una’to’s bed. “And well your aetheric signature is unique, I simply just followed it to here. Never expected the vaunted Warrior of Light and Warrior of Darkness to live in such a...humble abode”

Una’to scowled at the Ascian as he slowly crept to his clothes drawer, awkwardly picking out a pair of trousers while one-handedly holding onto his towel to protect what little modesty he had. “Please, for the love of Rhalgr, y’didn’t just walk ‘round Ishgard an’ t’here like that”

Emet-Selch rolled his eyes. “Oh please, I’m no fool, no one saw me as I came here. In fact you’re the first person to see me” he replied.

“An’ y’came t’visit m’outta the kindness of y’heart. How sweet” Una’to grumbled as he went back to the bathroom to put his trousers on. He didn’t trust the Ascian to not get a peek as he changed into them.

“Is there anything wrong with that, Warrior? After all you took several heavy blows from that voidsent in the Thirteenth, though in return you have certainly shaken up the hierarchy of the place. Scholars who study the void might or might not be cursing your name, if they ever knew you were the one responsible for completely changing several lifetimes worth of study, research, and observation” Emet-Selch said.

“Right, right, an’ I’m s’pposed t’believe y’?” Una’to asked, unconvinced as he returned to his bedroom. Emet-Selch had to stop himself from making a disappointed noise when the miqo’te returned with pants on.

“Believe what you want, have I given you any cause to not believe me? I have been nothing but truthful with you all through our little encounters with each other” the Ascian said, having the gall to sound offended at Una’to’s question.

“That may be so, but there was still a lot y’held back from us, an’ then there was the whole ‘shootin’ G’raha an’ kidnappin’ him’ bit, an’ y’bein’ angry in m’for not bein’ able t’handle all the Light that I absorbed from the Lightwardens, an’ then just about bloody everythin’ y’said at Amaurot” Una’to shot back, his ears flicking back as he grew angered at remembering Emet-Selch’s words and actions at the tail end of his trials in the First.

“And look how it all ended up, G’raha is alive and well and free, released into the custody of your friends, you were able to handle the Light in the end, in your own unique way, and well I’m not taking back anything I said in Amaurot, though your actions may have earned a reprieve of about a century or so” Emet-Selch said as he sat up and climbed off the bed, and began to saunter over to Una’to.

“That explains swivin’ nothin’” Una’to growled, taking a couple of nervous steps back from the Ascian.

“And yet everything still ended happily for your companions” Emet-Selch replied as he swiftly caught up to Una’to, going behind the nervous and angry miqo’te, then conjured up a fluffy towel from seemingly nowhere and started drying the other man’s hair.

“For another century as y’just sa-oi, the hells!” Una’to began to retort, cutting himself off at the unexpected actions of Emet-Selch, though he made no attempt to move away from the Ascian or his nefarious hair drying.

Emet-Selch did not deign to give Una’to a reply, and simply continued to dry the miqo’te’s hair, his fingers gently digging into the scalp, gently massaging Una’to’s head. Una’to let out a soft sigh and leaned back into Emet-Selch, relaxing and melting at his touch and the Ascian swore he could hear the miqo’te purring. After several minutes of blissful silence (and blissful head massages), Emet-Selch stopped which elicited a small whine from Una’to.

“If I keep going, you’re going to fall asleep, and if you fall asleep on me here then I’ll just let you fall” he said as he removed the towel, tossing it into what he assumed was a basket for clothing needing washing.

“Arse” Una’to grumbled as he separated from Emet-Selch and made his way over to his bed, flopping down on it.

“And yet you tolerate me” Emet-Selch said, following Una’to to the bed and dragging the miqo’te into his lap, and after removing his own gloves, resumed the head massage and after a short while Una’to resumed his purring.

The pair sat there in contented silence, with Una’to slowly drifting off to sleep and Emet-Selch reluctant to leave him, wanting to spend as much time as he could his new old friend, even if said friend was still only a fraction of his former self and still unable to remember Amaurot and the days of their people. But he was still here, and his soul was no longer under threat of the Light consuming it, and rendering it unable to ever move on and be reborn and rejoin when the times came.

Eventually Emet-Selch became unable to ignore the not-so-subtle pings and summons from Elidibus and so reluctantly he pulled away from Una’to, and after looking around the room and not finding one already being slept on, conjured up a throw blanket from nowhere and tossed it over the sleeping man. He stopped to brush some stray hairs from Una’to’s face, but paused noting how calm and relaxed he looked, the expressions almost looking so odd on a man who constantly seemed lowkey (and eventually highkey) tensed and stressed, but seeing him there, calm and relaxed and not having to worry about whatever it was that worried Hydaelyn’s champion...Emet-Slowly shook his head and parted from the man and the tiny cottage hidden away in Ishgard, and went to Elidibus’s favourite hiding place where the Emissary went to sulk whenever something didn’t go his way.

He had long since stopped being impressed and awestruck by the sights the place had held, and so he did as he normally did whenever he had to meet Elidibus at their Lord’s prison, he ignored them, the view of the Source in its entirety becoming little more than the sight equivalent of white noise.

“I was busy Elidibus, what do you want?” he snapped as he drew closer to the Emissary, stopping a few fulms further away than what was normally considered polite.

“Yes, I’m sure you were busy with trying to avoid and ignore me” Elidibus coolly replied, not even bothering to look over at Emet-Selch, simply staring ahead and looking at the Source.

“Well it’s you, are you surprised that I hide away and ignore you?” Emet-Selch asked. “So what went wrong this time? You only ever come up here to sulk when one of your plots goes fails”

“Your little empire is what’s wrong” Elidibus replied, ignoring Emet-Selch’s verbal jabs. “It turns out that the owner of the body of the Crown Prince that I had inhabited has somehow managed to get an artificial version of the Echo, one that can cause him to take over and control primals. I was forced to flee the occupation of his body, but it turns out that he’s decided to kill your grandson, all in order to prevent the use of the Black Rose, and we know why it was so important to deploy it”

“Well your favourite little champion of Hydaelyn fixed the little Light problem the First was having, reducing the influx of light-aspected aether that was going into the Source, Black Rose would likely not have had the effect we wanted it to have” Emet-Selch said. “And while the loss of both your host body and the Emperor are not ideal, we can work with it”

“And when were you going to tell me about the champion undoing all of our work on the First?” Elidibus questioned, finally looking over towards Emet-Selch.

“When were you going to tell me that this current champion is him?” Emet-Selch shot back, glaring at Elidibus.

Elidibus said nothing in reply, choosing to simply look back over at the Source. Neither of the two said anything for several minutes, Emet-Selch’s impatience growing by the minute.

“We can discuss making new plans for the next Rejoining later, for now I will work on plans to get rid of Her champion, the so-called ‘Warrior of Darkness’. Mayhaps such a ‘villain’ would need to face off against Warriors of Light” Elidibus said.

“You do recall what happened last time you tried to throw heroes of another shard at him right?” Emet-Selch asked. “Your little mole was a triple agent the whole time and managed to prevent pretty much everything you tried to achieve. At least he managed to get a way to prevent the Flood of Light from consuming the First”

“It will be different this time” Elidibus replied, gritting his teeth. “Meanwhile I need you to scout the remaining shards for potential replacements for Nabriales and Igeyorhm. It has been sometime since the demise of their previous incarnations”

“And what of Lahabrea?” Emet-Selch asked. “What of his seat?”

Elidibus didn’t immediately reply, simply letting out a small sigh and shaking his head before he finally answered. “It lies empty, for now. Perhaps once we bring our kin back we can think about appointing a new Lahabrea, but for now it shall remain empty and unclaimed”

“Fine, fine, I shall seek out replacements for Nabriales and Igeyorhm, I trust you’re ready to raise Mitron and Loghrif’s replacements to office then?” Emet-Selch said, decidedly leaving the fact that it could take millennia before the final Rejoining and therefore raising to office a new Lahabrea, unsaid.

“It shall be done when we next reconvene, which is also when I want to hear from you about who you suggest should replace Nabriales and Igeyorhm” Elidibus said.

Emet-Selch simply rolled his eyes and turned away from Elidibus. “If that’s all you wanted to discuss, then I’ll take my leave. I’ve sleep I want to catch up on” he said as he sauntered off, lazily waving behind him as he summoned a portal to take him who-knows-where. Elidibus simply shook his head at the actions of the other Ascian, and kept his vigil on the moon, looking out to the Source.

**Author's Note:**

> Hades, please, lemme smash.


End file.
